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The Coastal Carolina University baseball team (7-1) hosts the Caravelle Resort Classic March 6-8 at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field. Coastal Carolina added a game Thursday, March 5 against IPFW (1-2). The game starts at 6 p.m. The tournament begins Friday, March 6 as the Chants face Albany (0-4) and Stony Brook (0-4) at 5 and 8 p.m., respectively. Coastal Carolina then faces Creighton (1-7) Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m., and finishes the tournament Sunday, March 8 against Stony Brook at 2 p.m. The Chants have won four games in a row entering Thursday’s game, including a 3-1 win over The Citadel March 4.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: IPFW went 1-2 in the Logan’s Roadhouse Leadoff Tournament in Richmond, Ky., last weekend. The Mastodons split with Buffalo and fell to Eastern Kentucky. Mark Carden leads IPFW with a .364 averge, while Chris Gottschall has eight RBI. The Mastodons will start Stacy Herrold on Thursday. He has allowed three runs and struck out a batter in three innings pitched.
Albany lost four games at Western Kentucky to open the 2009 season. Sean Donovan leads the Great Danes with a .385 batting average, while Brendan Rowland has three RBI. Albany will start Chris Ott on Friday. He has allowed a hit and an unearned run in 0.2 innings pitched.
Stony Brook fell to Florida Atlantic in a four-game series in Boca Raton, Fla., last weekend. Nick Thode is hitting .364 in four games. Michael Tansey has the lone home run for the Seawolves. Stony Brook will start Mike Errigo on Friday and Jonathan Kalkau on Sunday. Errigo struck out nine Owls in 5.2 innings pitched last weekend.
Creighton fell to Kansas State 12-1 in its most recent game. Robbie Knight is hitting. 419 with four doubles, while Darin Ruff has nine RBI in eight contests. The Bluejays have not announced a pitcher for Saturday’s game.
SERIES VS. THE CITADEL: Coastal Carolina will face IPFW, Stony Brook and Creighton for the first time in school history. The Chants have faced Albany four times and are 4-0, including a three-game sweep over the Great Danes last season. Senior David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) hit .714 with a home run and three RBI in the three-game series.
WEATHER FORECAST: Thursday, Partly cloudy, 56 degrees. Friday, Mostly sunny, 71 degrees. Saturday, Sunny, 76 degrees. Sunday, Mostly sunny, 75 degrees.
GAGG THROWS GAS IN CITADEL WIN: The Coastal Carolina pitching staff has won Big South Pitcher of the Week the first two weeks, and could be in line for a third thanks to senior Bobby Gagg’s (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) peformance March 4 against The Citadel. Gagg did not allow a hit until the sixth inning. He gave up just one run and three hits in seven innings in the 3-1 win. He also struck out five Bulldogs on the way to his 23rd win in a Chant uniform.
GILMORE GOES FOR THREE: Redshirt junior Chance Gilmore (Surfside Beach, S.C./Virginia) had his third triple of the season March 3 in the 3-1 win over The Citadel. His three-bagger in the eighth brought home an insurance run in the win. Gilmore now has four career triples. The single-season record is eight, set by Tony Spires in 1987.
HESSLER NAMED BIG SOUTH CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Coastal Carolina redshirt-freshman Keith Hessler (Silver Spring, Md.) was named New Balance Co-Pitcher of the Week for games played Feb. 23-March 1, it was announced by the League office.
Hessler had a steller outing against No. 1 North Carolina, helping the Chants to a 7-3 win in Chapel Hill on Feb. 24. He started the game and gave up just three hits in 5.1 innings while striking out five and allowing just one earned run. Hessler allowed one extra base hit and held the Tar Heels to a .158 batting average in the no-decision.
NOEL HAS MOUNTAINEERS’ NUMBER: Sophomore Rico Noel (Lawton, Okla./Lawton) went 4-for-5 with four RBI in the 15-5 win over West Virginia Feb. 27. Noel had a two-run double in Coastal Carolina’s six-run fourth inning and had a bunt single that scored a run in the sixth inning. He ended his day with a bases-loaded walk. On the season, Noel is hitting .333 with nine RBI.
CHANT BULLPEN STOUT IN TENNESSEE WIN: The Coastal Carolina bullpen of junior Caleb Cuevas (Fletcher, N.C./Louisburg J.C.), sophomore Matt Rein (Houston, Texas/Langham Creek), freshman T.J. Swank (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) and junior Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) did not allow a hit in four innings pitched in the 10-5 win over Tennesse Feb. 27. The quartet struck out three and did not allow a walk, helping the Chant offense break a 5-5 tie with three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh.
MOTTER, GILMORE LIFT CHANTS OVER VOLS: Freshman Taylor Motter (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Palm Beach Gardens) and redshirt junior Chance Gilmore (Surfside Beach, S.C./Virginia) each had great games at the plate in the 10-5 win over Tennessee Feb. 27. Motter broke a 5-5 tie with a solo home run to lead off the sixth. He was 3-for-4 wtih three RBI and three runs scored. Gilmore was a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI single in the fifth that tied the game at five.
COASTAL CAROLINA IN THE POLLS: Coastal Carolina is ranked in several polls, the highest being 13th in the Ping! Baseball poll. The Chants also are ranked 14th in the NCBWA poll, 15th in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches poll and 16th in the Collegiate Baseball poll. Coastal Carolina enters the Baseball America poll in the 20th spot and is 24th in the Rivals.com poll.
CHANTS KNOCK OFF #1: For the first time in school history, Coastal Carolina defeated the number-one team in the country. The Chanticleers’ 7-3 win over North Carolina was highlighted by a two-run home run from junior Jose Iglesias (Miami, Fla./St. John’s) and a four-run ninth inning helped by two Tar Heel errors. The highest-ranked opponents the Chanticleers defeated before Tuesday night was a 7-6 win over fifth-ranked Georgia Tech May 10, 2005.
HESSLER SOLID IN STARTING DEBUT: Redshirt freshman Keith Hessler (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) started a regular-season game for the first time since his junior year of high school Feb. 24 against #1 North Carolina and he was impressive. Hessler struck out five, allowing just three hits and one earned run in 5.1 innings of the 7-3 win over the Tar Heels.
FLEET NAMED BIG SOUTH PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Coastal Carolina redshirt junior Austin Fleet (Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe) was named New Balance Pitcher of the Week for games played the opening weekend of the 2009 season, it was announced Feb. 23 by the League office.
Fleet earned a huge win for the Chanticleers, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out six and allowing no walks in a 4-1 victory over No. 19 Kentucky on Feb. 21. Fleet retired the first seven hitters and allowed just one extra-base hit in holding the Wildcats to a .136 batting average. Fleet’s line last week: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 6 SO.CHANTS COMING UP ACES ON THE MOUND: The Chanticleer trio of freshman Anthony Meo (Cranston, R.I./Cranston West), redshirt junior Austin Fleet (Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe) and sophomore Cody Wheeler (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania) combined to throw 18 innings in the Caravelle Resort Invitational, allowing just three runs on 10 hits while striking out 18 and walking just three. Meo earned his first collegiate win Feb. 20 against Southern Illinois, while Fleet and Wheeler earned victories against #19 Kentucky.
McCULLY A BULLDOG OUT OF THE PEN: Junior Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) did not allow a hit in 2.2 innings of relief in the Caravelle Resort Invitational Feb. 20-22. He retired Kentucky in order in the ninth, throwing 10 of 11 pitches for strikes and fanning the final two batters to earn the save. He then struck out a batter in 1.2 innings of relief against James Madison Feb. 22.
IGLESIAS SHOWS POWERON THE WEEKEND: Junior Jose Iglesias (Miami, Fla./St. John’s) had three home runs and drove in 10 in the four games of the Caravelle Resort Tournament Feb. 20-22. He had two home runs and five RBI in the opening day win over Southern Illinois, then hit a towering shot against James Madison Feb. 22. He followed that with a two-run home run in the eighth inning that tied the game against North Carolina at 3-3.
CHANTS SUCCESSFUL IN SEASON OPENER: Coastal Carolina improved to 22-12 all-time in season openers, dating back to the 1976 season, with its 16-3 win over Southern Illinois Feb. 20. Freshman Anthony Meo (Cranston, R.I./Cranston West) became the first freshman to start opening day in the Gary Gilmore era, and he struck out six and gave up two hits in six innings of work.
CHANTS HAVE POWER SURGE IN CARAVELLE TOURNAMENT: The Chanticleers, one year after hitting 96 home runs on the season, starting 2009 by hitting nine longballs in four games of the Caravelle Resort Invitational. Coastal Carolina had four home runs in its 14-5 win over Kentucky Feb. 22, while Jose Iglesias (Miami, Fla./St. John’s) had three and senior David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) and redshirt junior Chance Gilmore (Surfside Beach, S.C./Virginia) had two apice.
DRAFT DODGERS: Coastal Carolina has four players on its roster that were taken in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Redshirt junior Austin Fleet (Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe) was taken in the 2006 draft by the Atlanta Braves. Junior Jim Birmingham (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook (Penn)) was taken by the Nationals in the 25th round in 2006. Freshman Anthony Meo (Cranston, R.I./Cranston West) was selected in the 43rd round by the Washington Nationals, while classmate Dan Bowman (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) was selected in the 48th round by the Texas Rangers.
WHO’S BACK: Coastal Carolina returns six position starters and nine pitchers from last year’s 50-14 team that advance to the Super Regional. Three of the four infielders return in senior David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll), classmate Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) and sophomore Scott Woodward (Markle, Ind./Norwell). Redshirt junior Chance Gilmore (Surfside Beach, S.C./Virginia) returns to play left field, while junior Adam Rice (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Elgin C.C.) can play in the infield, the outfield or at designated hitter. Sophomore Rico Noel (Lawton, Okla./Lawton) started at second base last season, but will open 2009 in center field. The Chanticleers also return the front end of their pitching staff in junior Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic), redshirt junior Austin Fleet (Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe), senior Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) and sophomore Cody Wheeler (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania).
TOUGH SCHEDULE FACES CHANTS: Coastal Carolina will play four games against teams ranked in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Top-30 along with nine games against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) this season. Coastal will host Kentucky for two games in the Caravelle Resort Invitational. Kentucky is ranked as high as 19th in the preseason polls. Coastal Carolina then faces North Carolina, who is ranked first in the NCBWA poll.
NEWCOMERS DOT COASTAL ROSTER: Coastal has 11 newcomers on the roster, including nine true freshman. Junior Caleb Cuevas (Fletcher, N.C./Louisburg J.C.) will be on the Chanticleer pitching staff, while sophomore Tommy La Stella (Closter, N.J./St. John’s) will have to sit out the 2009 season due to the NCAA’s new transfer rule.
COASTAL TO HOST THREE IN-SEASON TOURNAMENTS: The Caravelle Resort Invitational is the first of three straight tournaments the Chanticleers will be hosting. Coastal Carolina welcomes in Tennessee, Florida International, West Virginia and Brown for the Baseball at the Beach Tournament Feb. 27-March 1 at BB&T Coastal Field. The Chants then host the Caravelle Resort Classic March 6-8, as Albany, Stony Brook, Creighton and IPFW will come to Conway.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS HIGHLIGHT EARLY HONOREES: Coastal had three players named to at least one Preseason All-America list before the 2009 season. Senior David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) was named to the Wallace Award Watch List as well as earning Second Team All-Ping! Baseball and Third Team Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America honors. Junior Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) was named an Honorable Mention Preseason All-American by College Baseball Insider. Sophomore Scott Woodward (Markle, Ind./Norwell) was named to the First Team by Ping! Baseball, the Second Team by College Baseball Insider and Recruiting Closer and Third Team by Louisville Slugger. He also was named to the Wallace Award and Golden Spikes Award Watch Lists.
GAGG GRANTED WAIVER; ELIGIBLE FOR 2009 SEASON: Senior pitcher Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) has been ruled eligible by the Big South Conference Feb. 11. Gagg received an absence waiver from the Big South’s Compliance Committee, allowing him to pitch for the Chanticleers in 2009. Gagg was participating in team practice when it started Feb. 1.
The Hamburg, N.J., native carries a 22-6 overall record in three years with the Chanticleers. He has a 2.90 earned-run average and 187 strikeouts in 273.1 innings pitched.
McCULLY NAMED BIG SOUTH PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Junior Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) was named the Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year Jan. 28. McCully received six first-place votes and 14 points in the League’s preseason voting, finishing ahead of Liberty’s Dustin Umberger (nine points, two first-place votes).
McCully led the Big South in wins last season, going 10-3 with a 3.63 ERA in 24 appearances and 89.1 innings for the Chanticleers. He struck out 72 batters compared to 27 walks in 2008, and held opponents to a .245 batting average. He also had three saves on the year.CHANTS PLAY IN FIRST-EVER SUPER REGIONAL: Coastal Carolina advanced to its first-ever NCAA Super Regional in 2008. The Chants faced second-seeded North Carolina in the NCAA Cary Super Regional at the USA Baseball National Training Center. Although the Chants fell 2-0 to the Tar Heels, Tyler Bortnick and Dock Doyle had four hits apiece, while David Sappelt had three runs-batted-in in two games. Austin Fleet pitched three scoreless innings in Game Two. The Super Regional appearance also was the first by a Big South team in the conference’s history.
COASTAL CAROLINA WINS 2008 NCAA CONWAY REGIONAL: Coastal Carolina won its first ever regional, defeating Columbia 11-2, Alabama 13-10 and East Carolina 24-11 in the NCAA Conway Regional at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field. The Chanticleers hit .360 in three games and belted eight home runs in the Regional. Junior David Anderson and senior Tommy Baldridge were named Co-Most Valuable Players following the East Carolina game. Baldridge was 6-for-14 on the weekend and had a three-run home run that broke a 10-10 tie against Alabama, giving the Chants a 13-10 win. Anderson had seven hits, three home runs and a win on the mound. He belted two home runs in the win over East Carolina and had eight RBIs in the three games. Baldridge and Anderson were joined by freshman Scott Woodward, junior David Sappelt, junior Dock Doyle and sophomore Nick McCully on the All-Tournament Team.
POSTSEASON HONORS FOR CHANTS IN 2008: Dock Doyle was named a Second Team Lousiville Slugger All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Doyle hit .370 with 16 home runs and 72 RBIs for the Chants. He also threw out 13 runners trying to steal and had seven pickoffs. Freshman Scott Woodward earned Freshman All-American honors by Rivals.com, the NCBWA, Louisville Slugger, Ping! Baseball, and Baseball America. Woodward hit .364 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs and stole a Big South-leading 42 bases. Doyle and Woodward were joined on the ABCA All-Region Second Team by David Sappelt. Sappelt hit .349 with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs in 64 games played.
FIVE CHANTS FEEL A DRAFT: Coastal Carolina had five players selected in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, including two players chosen in the fifth round. Junior Dock Doyle and classmate Pete Andrelczyk were selected by the New York Mets and the Florida Marlins, respectively. Junior David Sappelt was picked in the ninth round by the Cincinnati Reds. Senior Tommy Baldridge was selected by the New York Yankees in the 33rd round, with junior Jeff Richard picked by the Atlanta Braves in the 38th round. Coastal Carolina had 12 players selected in the draft the past two seasons.
CHANTS WIN NINTH BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT TITLE: Coastal Carolina won its ninth Big South Tournament by defeating Liberty 9-2 in the second championship game May 24. Junior Tyler Bortnick was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after going 9-of-18 at the plate and belting two home runs. Bortnick was joined on the All-Tournament Team by junior David Sappelt, senior Tommy Baldridge, senior JoeyHaug and junior Dock Doyle. Coastal Carolina opened the tournament by defeating UNC Asheville 20-4. The Chants won close games against VMI 3-1 and Winthrop 8-6 the next two days. Coastal Carolina fell to Liberty in the first championship game 13-1, before rebounding to defeat the Flames 9-2.
COASTAL CAROLINA WINS 11TH BIG SOUTH REGULAR-SEASON TITLE: For the 11th time in school history, Coastal Carolina won the Big South Conference regular-season title. The Chanticleers wrapped up the outright title with its 10-4 win over Radford May 16. Coastal Carolina has won the crown five of the last 10 years. The Chants won all seven Big South series in 2008, marking the third time in the last four years the Chants have accomplished that feat.
COASTAL CAROLINA EARNS DAILY DOUBLE: Coastal Carolina won both the Big South regular-season and tournament titles for the second straight season and the fifth time in school history. Coastal Carolina also did the trick in 1991, 1992 and 2002.
CONWAY REGIONAL SETS ATTENDANCE MARKS: The single-game attendance record at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field was broken four times in the NCAA Conway Regional. The new mark is now 2,320, set during the Coastal Carolina-East Carolina game June 1. A total of 11,124 fans packed the stands for the six games.
ALL-BIG SOUTH TEAMS FILLED WITH CHANTS: Coastal Carolina earned the Big South Player, Freshman and Coach of the Year and had 11 players on the All-Big South First and Second Teams.. Junior Dock Doyle was named the Big South Player of the Year and Scott Woodward was the Big South Freshman of the Year. Head Coach Gary Gilmore earned Big South Coach of the Year honors for the fifth time in his career. Doyle and Woodward were joined by Tommy Baldridge (outfield), David Sappelt (outfield), Bobby Gagg (starting pitcher), Joey Haug (starting pitcher) and Pete Andrelczyk (relief pitcher) on the first team, while David Anderson (first base), Nick McCully (starting pitcher), Tyler Bortnick (shortstop) and Adam Rice (outfield) were second-team selections.
UP NEXT: Coastal Carolina will face Creighton for the second time this season, facing off Tuesday, March 10 at 4 p.m.